Farouk Gulsara's Blog, page 9

That is how the ride goes…

Tokyo Vice (Miniseries) 2 Seasons, 18 Episodes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/tok...

I don't know why, but watching this miniseries reminded me of President Xi Jinping's recent visit to Southeast Asian countries. Everyone had much to say about Xi in private regarding the CCP's megalomaniac and imposing projects. Still, when the big Don landed in their backyard, leaders from these minion nations decided to hide their tails behind their hind legs and play dead. No one can blame them. This is the effect a powerful nation has on smaller ones. It happened in ancient times and continues to happen now. Might is right.

When the majestic fleet of the Ming Dynasty emperor came to the Malaccan shores in the 1400s, the Sultan had no choice but to send his emissaries to China with gifts. When the Siamese King showed displeasure, another entourage would go there with gifts and beautiful princesses to solidify international relations.

Intertwined with physical might are the potent forces of wealth and political office, with a recent addition being the capacity to influence public opinion. The power of propaganda cannot be overstated. In this modern world, where news travels faster than both light and sound combined, those who control the news literally control the revolutions of the planet!

This miniseries is based on Jake Adelstein's book of the same name, subtitled "An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan." Jake worked as an apprentice journalist at Yomiuri Shimbun, one of Japan's premier newspapers. He studied Japanese Literature at Sophia University in Tokyo, a Jesuit-sponsored institution. He was the newspaper's first non-Japanese reporter.

The book narrates his observations as an American looking at the working culture, working environment and his experiences reporting on criminal cases around Tokyo. He shadowed a police officer and was exposed to the down low of the running of the yakuza activities and the precarious understanding that they and the police foster. The yakuza are a necessary evil in Japanese society. Peace is maintained when different gangs have a sense to respect each other's boundaries and not to step on each other's toes.

The yakuza have intricate connections in all layers of society, including the police, politicians, and the media. What is reported in the press for general consumption is generally agreed upon by all factions above. Those in power justify suppressing the truth by citing national security and the need to maintain public order.

A similar scenario also occurs in Malaysia. Many of my schoolmates, who have since retired from active journalism, have much to say about the murmurs surrounding major breaking news that erupts frequently. Fearing the repercussions of breaching the disclosure clauses in their employment contracts, they would remain silent during conversations. Having interacted with them since childhood, I could see that their words were on the tip of their tongues, eager to burst out, but did not.

Jake's report about a well-known yakuza boss allegedly making a deal with the FBI in exchange for a liver transplant in the USA landed him in a great deal of trouble. Intertwined in the plot is another gaijin (a foreigner in Japanese), the American daughter of an evangelist who flees home to start a new life as a hostess, a modern version of a geisha. In this context, a hostess is someone who serves drinks, engages in conversation, and sits at tables in a bar or high-end restaurant. It is strictly non-contact entertainment. They make money through patrons' tips and from the owners of the establishment based on the number of drinks clients purchase.

I am grateful to SA for recommending this engaging miniseries to me. It helped me understand the subtle balance between vice, criminal activities, police work, and conducting business in the modern world. Much like a peacekeeping conduit, politicians play the role of middlemen, striking a balance between allowing gangsters to operate and keeping the police guessing their next move. They aim for a win-win situation where the bad guys (the yakuza, in this instance) exert their control over the public, politicians continue to disguise themselves while profiting, and the general public believes that their lives are improving. In reality, people are being taken advantage of while everyone else gets richer at the expense of the general public.

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Dirty linen?

Ankur (The Seedling, Hindi, Deccani; 1974) Director: Shyam Benegal

https://www.amazon.com/Ankur-Seedling-
Hindi-English-subtitles/dp/B008V22NKEThe recent passing of actor Manoj Kumar reminded everyone of the patriotic Bollywood films (once known as Hindi or Hindustani cinema) that endeavoured to stir nationalist fervour among the audience. His films from 1965 to 1974, which include Shaheed (1965, about Bhagat Singh), Upkar (1967, set against the backdrop of the Indo-Pak war of '65), Purab Aur Paschim (1970, celebrating Indian values over the West), and Roti Kapada Aur Makaan (1974, emphasising the needs of the common man—bread, clothing, and shelter)—prompted his audience to reflect on their country rather than be numbed by the intoxication of love or the struggles of others in romance. Interestingly, the idea for Upkar came to Manoj Kumar after he was honoured by India's beloved PM, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who inspired him with the notion of a farmer transforming into a war hero through Shastri's party slogan, Jai Jawan Jai Kisan (Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer). In Upkar, a farmer becomes a soldier to defend his nation amid greedy and ungrateful brothers and relatives.
The question arises as to whether the storyteller exposes dirty linen in public when he writes stories about vilifying practices in his country, particularly as his films are viewed by diaspora audiences worldwide. Paradoxically, is he enlightening the general public, in the hope that they will strive for improvement?
While Manoj Kumar @ Bharat Kumar's films appeared in mainstream cinema, which typically boasts a larger budget, more opulence, music, and colour, as well as star power to attract the audience, there existed a parallel cinema platform that was less ostentatious but focused more on everyday issues. Shyam Benegal was one of the creators of such films. 

'Ankur' is Shyam Benegal's debut film. It introduced Shabana Azmi and Anant Nag to the cinematic world and proved to be quite a sensation. Naturally, the world often takes notice when India, Indians, or the Indian way of life is portrayed unfavourably.
It tells an intricate story seamlessly, using minimal dialogue and more symbolism. Sometimes, words can convey only so much; many of the tales are shared through gazes and silence.
The story centres on two characters, Surya and Lakshmi. Surya believes he is a modern man with contemporary ideas, having obtained a BA. However, his ambitions of pursuing higher education are thwarted by his father, who sends him to tend to a family-owned piece of land. The father has a mistress in the village, and Surya's stepson is attempting to claim that land. Thus, Surya's task is to protect the land and ensure that the produce is not looted away. Despite thinking the modern man he is, Surya has to oblige his family's demand to marry a very young bride before being sent off, but alone.
The way Surya is treated in the village is typical of caste and class segregation. Lakshmi is the maid assigned to maintain the bungalow where Surya is staying. Lakshmi is the wife of a lowly, mute village potter. His pottery business has seen better times now that the villagers are comfortable with aluminium pots and pans.

The 'modern' Surya allows Lakshmi to prepare his meals despite her low caste, yet his other behaviour does not seem particularly civilised. When Lakshmi's husband goes missing after being humiliated by the villagers, Surya begins an affair with her, which results in her becoming pregnant. One day, Surya's wife arrives, and Surya behaves as though nothing has occurred.

 

Essentially, nothing has changed. Surya has a mistress and an illegitimate child, much like his father. An immersive watch. 4.5/5.

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Whose decision is it, anyway?

The Conclave (2024)
Director: Edward Berger

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/con...The selection of a new Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has always fascinated everyone, both Christians and non-Christians. It is not merely that they wait with bated breath to learn who the next de facto leader of the largest religion will be, but rather the actual process of selecting the next Pope, which has been shrouded in considerable mystery and secrecy. This enigma has been a source of numerous conspiracy theories and the theme of many best-selling novels over the years. 

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons offer readers a ringside view of the setup and day-to-day operations within the papal residence and workplace, the Vatican Palace, and the Holy See. This renders it even more intriguing that Vatican City remains in contention as the wealthiest nation by area, alongside Jersey (a British Crown Dependency), Monaco, and Luxembourg, depending on how one calculates the figures.  

One thing that most people know about the Conclave is the smoke signal that signifies the successful appointment of the Pope. It is a painstaking process involving a specially selected group from the College of Cardinals who are confined in a sealed room, engaging in days of voting and debate. The candidate who ultimately prevails must achieve a clear majority of more than two-thirds. 

This film, based on Robert Harris's novel of the same name, portrays a fictional scenario in which a Pope dies, leaving the Secretary of the College of Cardinals to convene the papal Conclave while dealing with numerous secrets that the former Pope had kept close to his heart. 

From the outset, we quickly realise that there is factionalism within the Roman Catholic Church. The Cardinals tend to act collectively and vote based on their shared language and skin colour—Spanish speakers, Anglophiles, Africans, and so forth. 

Some voters express their desire to be elected in private, yet they timidly deny having any such ambitions; the Secretary, the protagonist, is one such individual.

Little secrets emerge one by one regarding the previous Pope's private meetings, which were not recorded. They all remain hearsay, with one clergyman emphatically denying them and another swearing to their truth. Amidst all this, a clergyman appears in the voting hall as the Archbishop of Kabul, a position few knew the Vatican had a representative for. The former Pope appointed him in secret (in pectore) the year before. 

The voting begins. Four serious candidates have been identified: a Nigerian, a US citizen, a Canadian, and an Italian cardinal. Each holds differing views on how the Church should navigate the upcoming times. Some are radical, while others may be more conservative or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, more liberal.

One by one, scandals unfold. The Nigerian Cardinal is revealed to have a love child and is removed from the contest. Even after days of voting, a clear winner cannot be determined. In the midst of all this, the Vatican is struck by a bomb, part of a wave of bombings by Muslim fundamentalists. An emotional outburst from the Cardinals concerning the rise of Islamic terrorism worldwide was not well received by the other clergymen. Unexpectedly, the Archbishop of Kabul emerged victorious, and white smoke was seen billowing from the chimney. 

At that moment, another dark secret emerges, this time concerning the medical history of the newly appointed Pontiff! It's an enjoyable film. I did not anticipate that the tale of elderly men in drab, plain attire, speaking in a cultured manner without any risqué scenes, could capture viewers' attention. 

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The test of life?

Test (Tamil, 2025)
Director, Screenplay: S. Sashikanth

https://www.indiaglitz.com/test-revie...I am not exceptionally knowledgeable about the nuances of how a cricket match is played. This much I do know: the team scores a six when the batter hits the ball out of the field. The hitter is dismissed if the wicket falls, and a Test match is not merely a test but a genuine match, established initially to challenge the English team against its colonies. It is an endurance test running typically over five days. Moreover, Indian cinema rarely produces authentic cricket films, unlike Hollywood, which often features baseball and American football games. I believe this is the first time an Indian film has been made with cricket at the centre of the story. 

Another point: Due to security concerns, the Indian cricket team will not play in Pakistan or vice versa. Therefore, it would be wishful thinking to expect the Pakistan team to face their archrivals, India, at Chepauk Stadium in Chennai, as suggested in this film. 

The film did not have a particularly stellar outing. Reviewers complained about its exceedingly slow pace and the numerous plot gaps, especially those related to technical aspects of the game. Nevertheless, the message behind the story is less about the storyline and more about the challenges the two main (and perhaps three) characters face to achieve success. 

On one side, there is Sara, a frustrated MIT graduate with an epoch-changing water-fuelled engine but no sponsors to help get it off the ground. He must contend with running a canteen with his friend while being caught in the middle-income trap. Meanwhile, his anxious wife, Kumudha, hears her biological clock ticking away and requires a large sum of money to undergo IVF. Sara has become entangled with some unscrupulous loan sharks. 

In the affluent part of town, there is an over-the-hill national cricketer named Arjun, who risks exclusion from the national team. His son thinks the world of him, but sadly, Arjun feels he is no longer a true hero.

Arjun's son attends the same school where Kumudha teaches, and Kumudha's father was once Arjun's cricket coach. Their paths cross again through the son. In a twisted turn of events, Sara abducts Arjun's son for money. Loan sharks also become involved. They run a betting ring and hope India loses their match. They persuade Sara to pressure Arjun into conceding the match to Pakistan's win.

Thus, the test referenced in the film does not relate to the test match, but rather to the trial that the three characters must endure to do what is right. For Sara, is being the provider for his wife (and soon-to-be family) the only way to prove himself as a good husband? At any cost, even if it is illegal?

Is having a child the only goal for Kumudha as a married woman? She was seen gleefully rejoicing when the money she so desperately needed for her IVF appeared in her account. Is it right to kidnap for cash?

The test for Arjun, the cricketer, is whether he should prioritise his self-interest in regaining his son by sacrificing the game or embrace his patriotic duty and focus on winning the match for India.

As anticipated, once the hornet's nest is disturbed, there is no going back. One must do what one must to prevent any repercussions. When the calm water is disturbed, the ripples will reach a crescendo before settling into a steady state, yet nothing is ever the same again. 

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.

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Joy in helping others?

Irrational Man (2015) 
Screenplay & Direction: Woody Allen  https://moviesanywhere.com/movie/irra...

It is irrefutable that life on Earth unfolds as we desire it to. It commences with the pain of birth, followed by a sinusoidal wave of joy and heartaches, ultimately culminating in death. Death is a sorrow not for the newly departed but for the connections formed throughout existence. One can choose to dwell on the nihilistic end of it all and brood over it throughout a miserable life, or alternatively focus on the good one can achieve while life still ticks away. 

Others make life on Earth an opportune time to sing praises to their Maker. It is unfortunate that their fellow Earthlings require assistance. They are more interested in seeking divine powers for a better afterlife or improved standings in their subsequent births. Those who regard service to their fellow mankind as their raison d'être reap unmentionable rewards by witnessing the joy on the faces of those they endeavour to help. What occurs when a nihilistic individual chooses to assist others in order to infuse meaning into their mundane existence? This sets the stage for the film.

A philosophy professor takes up a position at a small college, carrying considerable emotional baggage, including depression and a drinking problem. He forms a friendship with a fellow teacher and a student. While overhearing a woman lamenting about a judge who is making her court case difficult, the Professor devises what he believes to be the perfect murder to eliminate the judge, thinking he is providing a valuable service to the woman. 

As with all murders, none are without flaws. Before long, one by one, the so-called foolproof alibis begin to disintegrate. As each of his defences crumbles, the Professor realises he is alone. No one condones his actions. Will he confess to everything and serve time for the crime?

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Jobs designated at birth?

Tamil Kudimagan(Tamil, Tamil Citizen; 2023)
Director:Esakki Karvannan
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/e...
amil-kudimagan/movie-review/103477872.cmsWe are told, 'our profession is our God' (செய்யும் தொழில்லே தெய்வம்). From this adage, we understand that by performing our designated jobs diligently, we respond to a divine call. Along the way, in our long civilisation, our profession has come to define who we are and our status in life. We can blame humanity for messing everything up!

What began as a description of human aptitude and traits was categorised into academic types, those with athletic and combative inclinations, the entrepreneurial type, or the diligent and conscientious workers. People excelled in their respective skills in accordance with their innate talents. Over time, families became pigeonholed into specific professions. Domineering behaviour is an inherent trait within us. In this way, elitists among us established hierarchical orders within society based on profession, with the scholarly and martial groups at the pinnacle. Those reliant on manual labour to perform their tasks or to handle dead animals, carcasses, hides, dirty linens, and noxious environments found themselves at the lower end of the spectrum.
Over time, this arrangement became increasingly toxic, creating divides among people regarding shared facilities, marriage, and even day-to-day social interactions. They attribute this to the British, who capitalised on the situation to further their 'divide-and-rule' strategy while ruling their Empire. Now, 75 years after independence, India remains mired in its internal divisions and caste politics. Despite all of this, it still manages to bounce back to better days, with the icing on the cake being its economy recently surpassing that of its former colonial master in size.
According to this film, pockets of discrimination persist despite significant advancements. Chinnasamy, a young man with great ambitions, is called upon to perform the last rites for deceased individuals in his village, a duty carried out by his father and ancestors. He finds the task demeaning, as no one wishes to undertake it, and people look down upon the job. The villagers' insistence on conducting one such ritual causes him to miss an important government examination, the Village Administration Officer's exam.
Things take a further turn when his medical student sister falls in love with the son of a chieftain from a higher caste. She and her entire family are humiliated. Those around them seem intent on maintaining the status quo, wishing to keep Chinnasamy's family subservient. Every attempt to improve their social standing is thwarted. Chinnasamy retaliates. When the chieftain's father passes away, Chinnasamy refuses to perform the death ritual. Everyone in his caste follows this lead. Unable to bury the old man, the police intervene. Eventually, the case is brought before the courts.
Although the whole set-up is quite melodramatic, the film carries a very relevant social message. 

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Felix, the philosophical cat!

Just the other day, a visitor to my home made a remark. She observed that my cat, Felix, was staring into the horizon while sitting by the glass window. Felix seemed unfazed by the activities within the house, instead focusing his gaze on the neighbour's gate. In front of the neighbour's compound stood a few stray cats, returning his stare. It resembled a kind of staring competition.

https://borderlessjournal.com/2025/04/14/felix-the-philosophical-cat/

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All in bad taste!

The Apprentice (2024)
Director: Ali Abbasi

youtube clipThere used to be something called decorum, a set of behaviours that everyone agreed upon, accepted as social mores and considered good manners. For example, one does not speak loudly in a library or crack a joke at a funeral. 

Now, it seems that all of this is a relic of a distant past. Nothing is taboo anymore.  

That was what went through my mind as I sat down to watch this film about the early rise of the current two-time President of the USA, Donald Trump. Narrating anyone's biopic inevitably includes some unsavoury details. With so much information available, much of it questionable in authenticity, how are we truly going to tell someone's story, warts and all, without hurting the sentiments of the person occupying the august seat, or at the very least, without tainting the highest office in the land?  

Here we have a film released about the early life of the very person who eventually won the elections to become President. In fact, he had previously served as President, a term before the current one. In America, there is a tradition. The past President is still addressed as ‘Mr President', not 'Mr Ex-President', implying the honour attached to the position. Similarly, a retired Ambassador is still referred to as Mr/Madam Ambassador. Somehow, all that goes out of the window when it comes to Trump. Rules do not apply.  

It recounts the early years of Donald Trump as a novice property dealer grappling with legal challenges stemming from accusations of racial discrimination against his black tenants. Trump endures a difficult existence, overshadowed by a domineering father, a mother who consistently hovers over him, and an alcoholic brother. He seeks assistance from a ruthless, high-powered lawyer, Roy Cohn. The name Roy Cohn emerged during the McCarthy era, when he served as the prosecutor who played a key role in sending the Rosenberg couple to the electric chair for espionage.

With Cohn's ruthless methods and Trump's foresight, the Trump brand fills the skyline of 1980s New York. The film proceeds to illustrate how Trump woos his first wife, Ivana, his infidelities, his use of amphetamines, hair transplants, liposuction, spousal abuse, betrayal of his old friend Cohn, and everything else to depict what type of self-serving man he is. I find it all in poor taste.

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A daring investigative journalism

Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover-Up (2016) Author: Rana Ayyub
On one hand, she is celebrated as an exceptional journalist at the Washington Post and has received numerous awards for her courageous reporting of breaking news. On the other hand, she is labelled public enemy number one. The Indian courts accuse her of insulting Hindu deities and inciting racial discord, and there is even an ongoing trial concerning the misappropriation of public funds.

For background information, the cover-up in Gujarat referenced in the book pertains to the events that followed the Godhra train burning incident in 2002. In February 2002, 59 Hindu pilgrims returning from Ayodhya lost their lives in a train blaze. Multiple commissions failed to ascertain the true cause of the disaster. The Mehta-Nanavati report was employed to convict 31 Muslims for the train burning.

Communal riots erupted shortly after the fire. For years, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, and his party members faced allegations of orchestrating the riots. Repeated election victories seemed to strengthen public confidence in Modi's non-involvement. Nevertheless, the Western media continued their efforts to undermine Modi and the BJP's reputation, often disparaging them before major general elections through publications such as the BBC and its affiliates.

Following the riot, the police initiated a wave of arrests, and several high-profile police staged encounters occurred in Gujarat between 2003 and 2006. Rumours spread that these deaths were orchestrated by right-wing politicians, specifically Modi and Amit Shah. At one point, Amit Shah was also apprehended for his involvement in the staged encounters.

For approximately eight months, from 2010 to 2011, Rana Ayyub, who was then employed by Tehelka, went undercover as an American documentary maker. She adopted a fictitious Hindu name, Mthali Tyagi, complete with Sanskrit credentials. Accompanied by her purported cameraman, a 19-year-old French student named Mike, she conducted a sinister mission to interview various figures directly involved in the notorious fake encounters, employing her camera and, later, a concealed recording device when they wished to speak off the record.

With her charisma and the Indian public's susceptibility to foreigners, NRIs, and "goras", Ayyub successfully obtained recommendations by conducting counter-references to interview high-ranking police officers, intelligence officers, anti-terrorist squad personnel, former MPs, and even former Commissioners of Police in succession. Many of the interviewees have since retired, and while some were initially somewhat hesitant to open up, they eventually relented.

Rana Ayyub
https://tcij.org/person/rana-ayyub/Through her research, she uncovers a significant amount of misconduct within the police force. Some individuals were conscientious and performed their duties diligently, without fear or favour. Nevertheless, a culture of subservience to both superiors and politicians prevailed. Rana suggested that police officers exhibited discrimination against their peers from lower castes. The extra-judicial killings carried out under the guise of police encounters were executed with indifference, according to her. Rana Ayyub, in so many words, implies that Modi is the mastermind behind the unrest in Gujarat, with Amit Shah as his trusted aide who carries out all his orders.

As her sting operation draws to a close, Rana Ayyub manages to secure an interview with Narendra Modi himself. However, the book concludes abruptly afterwards, leaving the outcome of the interview unexplored.

Ayyub's audacious attempt to uncover the root of the unrest in Gujarat raises ethical questions about such an operation. Betraying people's trust, exploiting their vulnerability, and inserting oneself into their lives under a false persona may not be moral. However, individuals are unlikely to volunteer information without prompting. This encapsulates the essence of investigative journalism; one cannot solely rely on official statements.

Whatever Ayyub attempted to unleash has evidently yielded no results. As time has shown, Modi must be doing something right. The BJP's successive victories in elections, its popularity, the current state of the economy, and the general mood of its citizens suggest that India is on the right trajectory. One must consider the broader context. However, checks and balances remain essential. 

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Anything and everything is possible!

Vanvaas (Exile, Hindi; 2024)

Director, Screenplay, Producer: Anil Sharma

Zee5 global

I was watching this Hindi film with my wife. It was a melodramatic production in true Bollywood style, driven by filial piety or at least making children feel extremely guilty for not housing or caring for their parents. Sending elderly parents to specialised institutions to cater to their specific needs has never been part of any Indian dictionary. 

The aged father, a widower who still lives in the memory of his deceased wife, suffers from worsening amnesia. Despite his physical limitations, he remains a proud man with his own ways of doing things, often caustic with his words. He has done well for himself, having built a beautiful house and acquired other properties. He lives with his three adult children, their respective wives, and children. 

The father remains resolute in his role as the head of the extended family and makes vital family decisions. Likely due to their upbringing, the sons keep silent regarding the father's tantrums and peculiarities. The wives consistently voice their complaints about the father's antics, yet no one is willing to budge. 

So, when the family made a pilgrimage to Varanasi, the six adults decided to lose their father in the crowd. Without his amnesia medication, they thought he would be unable to communicate with passers-by and would not find his way back, ultimately fading away.

Just so you know, there are options for end-of-life care in Varanasi. Facilities exist for individuals diagnosed with terminal illnesses to spend their remaining days in that town, be cremated, and have their ashes immersed in the Ganga River afterwards. After all, the Kashi-Visvanath temple there is believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva. Spending one's remaining time in His presence would make perfect sense. 

In true poetic justice, the father is eventually returned to his family home by the compassionate vagabonds of Varanasi. The children had already sold their family home and were in the process of liquidating another property. 

My wife, still convinced that goodness is very much alive and flourishing on Earth, refuses to believe that any child would possess the gumption to essentially ‘kill off a parent'. In a group of six children, none would ever agree to stoop so low as to bite the hand that brought them into the world. She maintains that the plot is one-dimensional and strays significantly from reality. 

We are aware of the numerous social experiments and observations that clearly demonstrate human behaviour to be highly erratic. Hannah Arendt's insights during the Nuremberg Trials have highlighted the banality of evil in civil service, which extended into warfare. Closer to home, a Malaysian conglomerate concealed child abuse and money laundering beneath the facade of a flourishing global Islamic business model.

The Stanford experiments have demonstrated how readily humans fit comfortably into their assigned duties and soon become oblivious to their nefarious actions in the name of executing their responsibilities. Even regarding our own flesh and blood, evidence of fratricide is plentiful. Siblings once killed each other for the coveted throne; now, they murder one another for the familial loom.

Human history has made anything possible. However, civilisational progress and the imposition of values through religion and legislation mean little when people are desperate.

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